Cui Linye's smile had completely vanished; clearly, Jiang Xianyu's answer had stung him.

He stared at Jiang Xianyu as if he were staring at a monster.

"Have you even thought clearly about what you're saying? You're an aristocrat, you were born with everything, and you shouldn't have to compromise for anyone in your life. Yet you keep compromising for Jiang Tian. Do you think this is a symbol of happiness?"

"Because I've had it since I was a child, I won't feel too sad about losing it. At least I won't be sad, because most of my life has been immersed in technological innovation. Rather than those trivial things, I hope to make full use of my intelligence throughout my life to bring more changes to this world."

"Indeed, my noble status has brought me many benefits, and I have benefited greatly from it. I cannot give up this status, but when a commoner lover stands in front of me, I cannot refuse, yet I still cruelly refuse. The more times I refuse, the greater the pain in my heart."

"The stark contrast finally made me realize that there weren't that many obstacles between Jiang Tian and me in a macro sense. I just wanted her and wanted to be with her. That's why I chose to come here this time, hoping that you would give her back to me. I don't want her to suffer any more bullying."

The smile had vanished from Cui Linye's face.

He seemed to be deep in thought.

After a long while, he asked Jiang Xianyu, "Is Jiang Tian good to you? Has she ever done anything that made you very happy?"

Jiang Xianyu had a headache. He wasn't good at dissecting his feelings with others, but he still held onto hope that Cui Linye would release Jiang Tian. If that was the case, he could only patiently deal with him.

“Our problems are for us to solve. Whether she treats me well or not is up to me to decide. I’m happy with whatever she does. She makes me happy, so I should reciprocate in kind.”

Cui Linye was utterly astonished by his thought process, and he restated his question—

"I mean, has Jiang Tian ever done anything for you? Otherwise, why would you treat her so well?"

Jiang Xianyu remained silent. He knew better than anyone whether or not there had been any sacrifices made. Jiang Tian had made him experience the bittersweetness of life, and he was very grateful to her.

"After all this nonsense, you still won't give her back to me. What are you thinking? Do you really want to marry her?"

"As far as I know, your targets have always been socialites, and those socialites have to be top-notch in terms of their qualifications to be considered as marriage partners. Jiang Tian is completely different from those you are considering for marriage, so I don't think you would be very interested in her."

"Perhaps you need to keep her because of certain conditions, but if I can afford those conditions, can you also let her go and not let her be locked up anymore?"

Cui Linye didn't say anything to Jiang Xianyu because he knew Jiang Xianyu wouldn't understand.

People like Jiang Xianyu should always remain immersed in their own world.

Few people can understand his inner world, but when he causes trouble, he can turn the world upside down.

Cui Linye gazed at the distant mountain landscape painting.

“You know what? From childhood to adulthood, I’ve thought that maybe I should just stop climbing mountains and enjoy the scenery from the foot of the mountain. But later, I found that I couldn’t stop myself. I wanted too much. If your desires are great, then you must climb higher. If you don’t climb higher, then it’s a betrayal for you. I don’t want to betray myself.”

“Just like Jiang Tian, ​​you think she’s great, Su Yuyao thinks she’s great, and I think she’s great too. All three of us think she’s very good, so let’s see who can be with her based on their own abilities.”

“She’s in my villa right now, she can’t leave. I’ve seized this opportunity, so there’s no way I’m going to let her go.”

Cui Linye looked at Jiang Xianyu with a pitying gaze: "I am pessimistic about your proposed marriage. After all, there will be great obstacles involved, and I don't see any courage in you to overcome them. Come back to this matter when you have real control over your family."

Jiang Xianyu, however, sensed a hint of bravado masking underlying weakness in Cui Linye's words.

Both of them are civilized people, so naturally they wouldn't fight.

Jiang Xianyu realized that Cui Linye would never hand over Jiang Tian, ​​and he himself could not force his way in. So the only way now was to go back first and then make a more careful plan.

This time, Jiang Xianyu didn't hesitate; he turned and left.

He seemed to have made up his mind.

Cui Linye had a premonition that Jiang Xianyu wouldn't stop.

But so what?

No one will stop.

Nobles like them naturally have to work hard to get what they want; no one will give it to them for free.

Why would anyone think that people born with a silver spoon in their mouth don't need to work hard? On the contrary, they think they have to work even harder to become leaders, otherwise they will only be marginalized. For ambitious people, being a marginalized second-generation rich kid is the real torture of being slowly sliced ​​to death.

“Jiang Xianyu came to see you just now. His arrival surprised me. I really didn’t expect that you were in contact with him. He seems to still have feelings for you.”

Cui Linye came to Jiang Tian's side and told her everything he had just experienced.

Jiang Tian looked at him slowly, her eyes filled with a serene tranquility, as if she were also immersed in her own world.

Despite her circumstances, she did not break down in this very isolated environment; instead, she displayed a unique and captivating beauty.

She said to Cui Linye, "Neither Su Yuyao nor Jiang Xianyu disgusts me as much as you."

The smile on Cui Linye's lips vanished abruptly.

He narrowed his eyes, his gaze as sharp as needles fixed on Jiang Tian, ​​his voice low and probing: "In your eyes, am I so wretched, even disgusting?"

Jiang Tian turned her head slightly, trying to make her tone sound calm: "Perhaps my words were a bit too harsh, but it is undeniable that your appearance did make me feel uncomfortable. I understand that the marriage concepts and lifestyles of the nobility are very different from mine, and my ideal partner has my own standards that I adhere to. I'm sorry, you do not meet them."

"You think I can submit to you? Well, let me tell you, I can submit, I can even do more humiliating things, but I will never want to be your wife. Do you think it's worth it?"

Is it worth it? When a person judges whether they can succeed or get better, they never use "worth it" but rather their feelings.

Whether a person feels good or bad is the key factor in deciding whether or not they should do something.

Cui Linye remained true to his own feelings regarding his marriage to Jiang Tian.